If you have a highspeed Internet connection, you can get telephone service for next to nothing. In fact, it is possible to get it for nothing.
I currently use Skype for my business telephone and fax numbers. It comes to about $40 a year for unlimited calls within Canada and the United States. All you have to do is get a subcription for the calls and a Skype dial-in number in your area code. You can add fax by buying Pamfax, a Skype add-on. They also make call recording software for both audio and video calls.
I make and receive calls using a wireless Skype phone. The people on the other end of the line are not aware that they are talking over a computer. The call quality is as good as any other telephone.
Admittedly, it is a bit difficult to set up that way. There is now a way to get pretty much the same thing for absolutely no cost at all, though it is a bit complicated too. The first thing you have to do is get a Google Voice account. That gives you a free local number and free calls to the United States and Canada–and cheap International rates. You can send the calls from your Voice number to any telephone number you like. I currently have mine set to ring both my home and office numbers. If I go out, I can transfer it to my cell phone. You can also set up Gizmo, a free VOIP phone, and make and receive Google Voice calls using it.
There is, of course, a downside to everything. Google Voice is a new service, currently being tested. I have a pretty strong suspicion that Google ultimately plans to go into direct competition with Skype. In the end, these currently free services may cost something, though it will probably be very cheap. If you try to sign up for it right now, you may have to wait for a while for a response. The people I know who have recently registered with Google Voice are getting long waits before getting accepted. By the way, Voice has call recording more or less built in, but only for calls you receive. It has several other revolutionary features and is fun to play with. Just goes to show you what you can do if you stay current with new technologies.
October 8, 2009 at 2:55 pm |
You’re probably right about google voice going to start charging eventually. I use uReach.com “unified communications” and they were free for about 2 years. They still have some services I can use. They really are geared more for the small business that wants to appear like a big corporation.
I will check googles. Maybe it’s time for a change.
Thanks
October 8, 2009 at 4:01 pm |
Yeah, it seems that they are planning to embed Gizmo5 and go into competition with Skype. I should imagine that, once there are costs, they will be pretty cheap. I do not believe that it will continue to be totally free. Just call me skeptical.